I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been invited to join the Review Panel for the RSA Spark Programme, contributing to Brief Two: Railway 200 & Beyond. As someone who works at the intersection of innovation, systems thinking, and future-facing design, this opportunity feels like the perfect convergence of past inspiration and forward momentum.
Honouring Two Centuries of Innovation
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the railway—a truly transformative force in society. Railways haven’t just moved people and goods; they’ve shaped the fabric of economies, redefined our sense of time and distance, and powered industrial and cultural revolutions. But the RSA brief doesn’t stop at celebration. It asks a bold and brilliant question:
“How might we take inspiration from 200 years of railway success while innovating for an even brighter future?”
It’s a prompt that demands respect for history and an appetite for disruption. Exactly the kind of challenge that sparks the imagination.
The Role of the Review Panel
Later this summer, I’ll be joining a diverse group of designers, engineers, policy thinkers, and creative professionals to assess the ideas put forward by students and emerging talent. The RSA Spark Programme is known for championing fresh perspectives grounded in real-world impact—and I’m eager to explore how participants have tackled this brief through systems thinking, social purpose, and inventive design.
The panel will be looking at ideas that are technically viable, socially impactful, environmentally conscious, and emotionally resonant. And, of course, we’ll be looking for that elusive spark—that clever twist or surprising insight that could make all the difference.
What Excites Me Most
Railway 200 & Beyond was developed in collaboration with Network Rail—the organisation that quite literally keeps Britain moving. With responsibility for over 20,000 miles of track and more than 30,000 bridges, tunnels, stations, and signalling systems, Network Rail isn’t just maintaining infrastructure—it’s shaping the backbone of national connectivity. Their work supports economic growth, strengthens communities, and plays a central role in the future of UK transport.
What excites me most about this upcoming review is the chance to see how a new generation thinks about infrastructure as more than steel and timetables. How might the railway of the future:
- Support decarbonisation and net-zero goals?
- Embrace emerging tech while being inclusive by design?
- Act as a connective tissue across cities, communities, and regions?
- Reinvigorate our collective relationship with travel, time, and place?
I’m looking forward to ideas that reframe the railway not just as a mode of transport, but as a living system—one with cultural meaning, ecological responsibility, and human-centred intent.
A Journey Worth Taking
As someone working in AI, systems innovation, and strategic foresight, I deeply value initiatives like RSA Spark that bring together creativity, purpose, and practical action. And I know from past RSA projects that the level of thought and ambition these students bring to the table is anything but ordinary.
If the past 200 years have shown us anything, it’s that the railway is more than a machine—it’s a metaphor for transformation. I’m honoured to play a part, however small, in what comes next.
Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing reflections after the review. And if you’re as curious as I am about where the next 200 years might take us, then watch this space.